Alzheimer's disease: who is warned, is armed
Seven little-known facts about Alzheimer's disease
RIA NewsAlzheimer's disease, as many believe, affects only the elderly.
However, this diagnosis may affect not only those over 60. Oleg Smirnov, senior researcher at the Department of Late-life Mental Pathology of the Moscow Research Institute of Psychiatry, told RIA Novosti about a number of little-known facts about this disease.
Alzheimer's disease is a degenerative disease of the central nervous system characterized by a gradual loss of mental abilities (memory, speech, logical thinking), first described in 1906 by the German psychiatrist Alois Alzheimer. World Alzheimer's Day is celebrated annually on September 21 in 70 countries of the world on the initiative of the International Organization for the Fight against Alzheimer's Disease.
1. The early form of the disease may manifest itself after 40 yearsAlzheimer's disease is an epidemic of this century and the most serious problem of modern healthcare, because the population is rapidly aging, and there are no sufficiently effective drugs yet.
According to Smirnov, about 4% of the population of developed countries at the age of 65 suffer from this disease, and among people over 80 years old, it occurs in every third.
The early form of Alzheimer's disease can begin after the age of 40, most often in such cases it is hereditary, this happens in about 5% of patients, the doctor said.
2. Women get sick more often than menWomen, according to some data, are 6-10 times more likely to suffer from this disease than men, Smirnov said.
Medically justified normalization of the level of sex hormones in women has a certain preventive effect. Taking the right contraceptive hormonal drugs reduces the risk of the disease, he added. Adequate use of hormonal drugs after menopause has a positive effect on a woman's health in general.
3. There are no drugs for Alzheimer's diseaseThere is no cure for Alzheimer's disease, but many manufacturers position their drugs as a means of complete or partial cure for this disease.
According to Smirnov, this is not the case. There are only a few relatively effective drugs that can help in the treatment. But they do not stop the painful process, but only slow it down, the doctor explained.
Smirnov added that in Russia this disease is not diagnosed in many cases. Psychiatrists and neurologists often believe that the main cause of memory impairment and the development of dementia in the elderly is the result of insufficient blood supply to the brain. But it has long been proven that the most common cause of such disorders in older people is Alzheimer's disease, he said. Due to incorrect diagnosis, inadequate treatment is prescribed to the patient, which in some cases can worsen the course of the disease.
4. Moving can complicate the course of the diseaseA change in the way of life at a late age, a change in the place of residence and the situation, forced immobility, as well as one or another bodily ailment can significantly aggravate the course of this disease, Smirnov explained.
Traumatic brain injuries in the past can also affect the development of the disease, he added.
5. Smokers have a chance to avoid Alzheimer's diseaseIt is believed that small doses of nicotine prevent the development of the disease, Smirnov said.
But the doctor in no case recommends starting smoking because of this. Smokers are much more likely to develop other diseases, and they do not even live to the age when Alzheimer's disease begins, he explained.
6. Aspirin helps brain cellsLong-term use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin) showed good results, Smirnov said.
As you know, such drugs are widely used for many somatic (bodily) diseases. In Alzheimer's disease, inflammation can decrease if the working conditions of the nerve cells of the aging brain are improved. At the same time, such drugs can only be taken as prescribed by a doctor, Smirnov stressed.
7. Mental work allows the patient to be in shape longerLow level of education is also an indirect risk factor for the development of the disease.
"I would not say that education can protect us, but educational training, mental work, of course, allows a sick person to stay in normal shape longer," Smirnov said. Therefore, he recommends staying active in society as long as possible. The longer a person is physically and mentally active, the longer he will retain memory, attention and all other functions to resist this disease, the doctor added.
Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru23.09.2013